Potato-planter.



L. A. ASPINWALL.

pomo PLANTER.

APPLlCATION FILED SEPT. l Il 1917.

Patented Mar. 4, 1919.

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L. A. ASPINWALL. 'PoIATo PLANTER. APRLICATLON FILED SEPT-.11. |917.

1 ,296,255 Patented Mar. 4, 1919.

L. ASPINWALL.

POTATO PLANTER.

' APPLICATION FILED SEPT. II'.I9I7.

` u Patented Mar.` 4, 1919,` 56' f @winks-suffira. I 57 I y I 339.5 s

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' POTA-TO PLANTER.

APPLICATION man SEPT. H.. |911.

l ,296,25 5 Patented Mar. 4, 1919.

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H l? A j; 55/ f L. A. ASPINWALL.`

POTATO PLANTER.

APPLICATLON FILED SEPT. n l. 191'?.

Patented Mar. 4,1919.

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MFG. CO., CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

IPOTATO-PLANTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 4., 1919.

Original applicationfled August 25, 1916, Serial No. 116,795. Divided and this application filed September 11, 1917. Serial No. 190.714.

application has matured into Patent No.

1,240,529, bearing the date of Sept.- 18,1917. In the application aforesaid the invention was made to relate more particularly to the construction of the pickers and concaves as sociated therewith for receiving, gripping, and releasing the potatoes in the planting of the same. The present application relates v more particularly to the clutch mechanism and devices operated through the same for actuating the feed gates of the hoppers, and also the picker devices so that these parts are operated and potatoes fed and deposited at the will of the operator.

I am aware that heretofore the picker arms as well as other parts of a potato planter have been driven indirectly from the main shaft or axle of the apparatus. My present invention relates to a novel form of clutch mechanism for this purpose and also to the mechanism for actuating the feed gates when the clutch is engaged so that potatoes are fed as hereinbefore stated only when the picker arms are in operation to receive, carry and deposit the same into the furrows made by the plow of the planter, and the construction of present invention relates will be hereinafter more particularly described.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a sectionalA elevation illustrating my improved potato planter.

Fig. 2 is an elevationof the same taken on the other side of the machine.

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan of the clutch mechanism employed.

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of the same.

Fig. 5 is a sectional plan of the clutch mechanism in Fig. 3 but showing the parts Y in their other positions.

Fig. 6 is a sectional elevationof the parts of dhe clutch mechanism as shown in Flg. 5, an r Y l Y these parts to which the Fig. 7 is a perspective View illustrating the parts of the apparatus to which the presentinvention more particularly relates.

The potato planter made in accordance with this invention preferably comprisesva suitably constructed frame 10 in which there is mounted in a fixed position an axle 11.`

`with these parts there is a lifter bar 16 connected at its lower end to the plow and rovided at its upper end with a handle 17 y which the plow and plow bar maybe raised Aand lowered. As is also customary,

the planter includes furrowV coverers 18.l

These are suitably secured to bars 19 mounted in the frame of the machine and provided with a foot bar 20 by which the coverers may be raised from their operative positions against the action of the spring 21 which. normally maintains the coverers in place. 22 designates a post fixed at its lower end in the "frame of the machine and fitted at its upper end with a seat .23 for. the driver. Also connected in the .frame ofthe machine there are uprights 24 'to which Vare secured iixed receptacles 25 and flexible hoppers 26 into which the potato seeds to be planted are placed and permitted'to gravitate to the chutes 27 from which and the flexible hoppers. the seeds are fed through arms mounted in spaced positions on thev sleeves 31 surrounding the axle 11. These sleeves are suitably connected so that the picker arms move in unisonl and each sleeve is provided with a flange 32 to which the picker arms 33 are attached. Each picker arm at its outer end is preferably bifurcated ios and fitted with a'swinging'member 34 normally maintained in position by a spring 35, andV each swinging member 34 carries a tongue 36 normally heldin place relatively to its swinging member by a spring 37 so that through the action of the picker arm its swinging member and tongue with the coperation of the concaves, the potatoes are received, gripped and released so as to be deposited into a furrow opened by the plow. These parts are actuated by means of a lug 38 on each swinging member, and a cam 39 on the frame of the machine with which the lugs 38 contact to open the jaw formed be-` tween the end of each picker arm and the swinging member and tongue associated therewith. These parts are more particularly shown and described in my application aforesaid.

On the end of the axle 11 adjacent the left hand wheel of the planter as clearly yshown in Fig. 7 ,there is a gear 40. This 45 of the clutch casing isgmounted on a counter-shaft 46,. one end of which is jour-- naled in abearing 47 .forming part of or. suitably connected to the frame of the ma chine.V On the counter-shaft 46 there is a sleeve 48 and the sleeve 48 is secured to the counter-shaft by means of a pin 49 or otherwise. On the sleeve 48 and adjacent the outerend thereof, there isa iange 50. This flange is provided with-openings ladapted t0 .receive parts of ar clutch member 52 mounted toslide on the sleeve 48. On the inner end of the clutch member 52 there are clutch teeth-53,.and on ythe adjacent surface of the clutch casing there are similar but oppositely disposed clutch teeth 55. Normally, the clutch member 52 is maintained inthe position shown in Fig. 3 with'the teeth-53 and 55 in engagement by means ofa spring 54, surrounding the clutch member and extending between the teeth atthe end of the same and the adjacent side of the flange 50. At its outer end the clutch casing is provided with a-cap56 in which the extremity of the counter-shaft 46 is journaled, and thisV cap 56 maybe secured to the clutch casing by means `of suitablestud bolts 57 or otherwise.

Mounted freelyI on v'the hub `of the yclutch casing I. employ a shitable segmental gear 58. On the face of this segmental gear adjacent thebearing 47 there is an incline face 59 and in the adjacent surface of the bearingi47 there is an incline faQ@ 60.; VVVExtend-v ing between -the shiftable segmental .gear 58 and the clutch member 52 there are shift bars, one of which is illustrated at 61 in Figs. 3 'and 5. Eachof these shift bars extends through and is journaled in an opening provided therefor in the clutch casing 42 and as illustrated, lthese shift bars slide against the surfaces of the hub 45 of the clutch casing and against the surface of the sleeve 48. Meshing with the shiftable seg'- mental gear 58 there is a segmental gear 62. This gear 62 is carried by an arm 63 pivotally mounted at 64 in the frame of the `machine. The arm 63 is'alsoprovided with a footpiece 65 and an extension 66 adapted to contact with a bracket 67 fixed onk the plow bar 13 as is shown in Fig. 2.Y

At the inner end of the counter-shaft 46 there is mounted a gear 68. This gear 68Y meshes with a gear 69 the hub 70 of which is mountedvon the axle 11. suitably connected with the adjacent sleeve 31 and by and through the same in the operation vof the machine the picker arms are revolved.

The iexible hoppers 26 to which reference v has hereinbefore been made are asV herein illustrated, preferably employed in pairs andA associated with f each flexible hopper thereis a feed gate 71 through the actuation of which the potato seedsare fed from thehoppers to the concaves. These feed gates 71 are preferably'connected vby a bar 72,` the-'ends of which are tted with trunnions 73 journaled in brackets 74 lixedin suitable positions in vthe frame of the planter, and the feed gates' are normallyheld ina closed position by means of a The hub is.

spring 75. vOne of the feed gates below itsl pivotal point is vprovided with brackets 76 in which there is secured a'rod 77. Journaled on this rod -77 there isa sleeve 78 and connected to andextending from the sleeve 78 is an arm 79. The .free end ofthe arm 79 is pivotally connected toalink 80 which `at its opposite endV is pivotally mounted on a crank pin 81 fixed in the hub' 82 of the gear wheel 68. Adjustably placed in the arm 79 is a bolt 83. Thisv may be locked in any adjusted position b y means of aY nut 84 or otherwise, and a portion of the feed gate is maintained against the free vend of the bolt 83by the spring 75.

In the operation of ythe hereinbefore described f apparatus, they clutch mechanism isv in its normal position disengaged Vas shown in Figss and 6 and this ldisengagement is made positive by liftingtheplow Vbarf13y when as will be'understoodthe bracket 67 contacts with the'extension 66 of thev arm' 63 movingthe arm from-thefposition shown*J in Fig.` 4 to that shownvin Fig.g6.' In `so doing thevsegmental. gear` 62 operates thek shiftableV segmental gear 58. and in turning .Y Athe same the incline face 5.9 of lthe Shiftable..

gear rides over the incline face 60 on the bearing 47 and forces the shift bars 61 inwardly, thereby moving the clutch member to disengage the teeth thereof against the action of the spring 54. In so doing as will be understood, the clutch member is entirely disengaged and the parts of theapparatus made inoperative. When in operation, the clutch parts are moved in the opposite direction by pressing the foot against the foot piece and forcing the arm 68 to the position shown in Fig. 4. In so doing the shiftable segmental gear 58, the shift bar 61, and the clutch member 52 are moved through the action of the spring 54 so as to throw the teeth of the clutch into engagement. `W hen this position is assumed the countershaft 46 will be turned through the gear 40 and the gear 41 acting through the members of the clutch. The gear 68 will then turn the gear 69 to operate the picker devices and simultaneously the gear 68 through the link 80, the arm 70 and the sleeve 78, the rod 77, will periodically operate the feed gate to which these parts are attached and the other feed gate will -be operated simultaneously and in unison with this feed gate by the bar 72 by which the feed gates are connected.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a potato planter, a frame, an axle mounted therein, a hopper, a feed gate mounted to swing in the said frame, an arm pivotally connected at its lower end to the feed gate an appreciable distance from the upper end thereof, an adjustable member for determining the relationship between the said arm and the upper end of the feed gate, means for maintaining the feed gate against the said adjustable member, and means for actuating the said arm so that with the co-action of the aforesaid means, the feed gate opens and closes.

2. In a potato planter, a frame, an axle, a hopper, a feed gate mounted to swing in the said frame, an arm pivotally connected at its lower end an appreciable distance from the upper end of the said feed gate, a member adjustable in said arm and extending between the same and the adjacent surface of the feed gate to determine the distance between the same, means acting against the upper end of the feed gate to maintain the same against the end of the adjustable member, and means for actuating the said arm so that through the co-action of the aforesaid means, the feed gate is opened and closed.

3. In a potato planter, a frame, an axle mounted therein, a hopper, a feed gate mounted to swing in the said frame, an arm pivotally connected at its lower end to the said feed gate an appreciable distance from the upper end thereof, a member adjustable in the said arm and extending between the same and, the adjacent surface of the feed Vgate to determine the relationship between the same, a spring extending between the upper end of the said feed gate and a portion of the said frame to maintain theup-` per end of thefeed gate against the said adjustable member, and means for actuating said arm so that through the cooperation of the said spring, the feed gate is opened and closed.

4. In a potato planter, a frame, an axle mounted therein, a hopper, a feed gate mounted to swing in the said frame, an arm pivotally connected at its lower end to the said feed gate an appreciable distance from the upper end thereof, a member adjustable in the said arm and extending between the same and the adjacent surface of the feed gate to determine the relationship between the same, a spring extending between the upper end of the said feed gate and a por-- tion of the said frame to maintain the upper end of the feed gate against the said adjustable member, a gear, a shaft on which the said gear is mounted, a link connecting the upper end of the said arm with a pin on the said gear, and means for connecting and disconnecting the said shaft with the said axle.

5. In a potato planter, a frame, an axle mounted therein, a hopper, a feed gate .mounted to swing in the said frame, an arm pivotally connected at its lower end to 'the said feed gate an appreciable distance from the upper end thereof,a member adjustable in the said arm and extending between the same and the adjacent surface of the feed gate to determine the relationship between the same, a spring extending between the upper end of the said feed gate and la portion of the said frame to maintain the upper end of the feed gate against the said adjustable member, a bearing frame secured to the said frame, a counter shaft mounted in the said bearing frame, a gear on the counter shaft, a link connecting the free end of the said arm with a pin in the said gear, and means for connecting the said counter shaft to and disconnecting the same from the said axle.

6. In a potato planter, a fra-me, an axle mounted therein, a hopper, a feed gate mounted to swing in the said frame, an arm pivotally connected at its lower end to the feed gate an appreciable distance from the upper end thereof, an adjustable member for determining the relationship between the said arm and the upper end of the feed gate, means for maintaining the feed gate against the said adjustable member, a plurality of pickers, means for operating the said pickers and simultaneously actuating the said arm so that through the co-action of the means for maintaining the feed gate against the adjustable member, the feed gate is opened and closed. c

7. In a potato planter, a frame, an axle mounted therein, a hopper, a feed gate mounted to swing in the said frame, an arm pvotally connected at its lower end to the said feed gate an appreciable distance from the upper end thereof, a member adjustable in the said arm and extending between the same and the adjacent surface of the feed gate to determine the relationship between the same, a spring extending between the upper end of the said feed gate and a portion 0f the said frame to maintain the upper end of theV feedv gate against the said adjustable member, a gear, a shaft on which the said gear is mounted, arlink connectingv 15 the upper end of said arm with a pin in said gear, and a plurality of pickers operated from the said gear.

Signed by me this 7th day of Sept., 1917.

LEWIS AUGUSTUS ASPINWALL.

Witnesses:

GEO. N. WHITNEY, E. D. BARRON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five-centsv each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,Y

Washington, D. C. 

